The History

The decision to form an association for those who had served in the London Scottish had been much mooted over the years but began to gain significant momentum in 1913. To progress the idea an interim committee was formed, chaired by Major William Lyall Grant. A launch was announced in November 1913 and some 1520 letters were sent to former members of the Regiment whose details were still on file. To reach out to as many former London Scots as possible a letter written by the Commanding Officer, Colonel Malcolm, was placed in no less than 322 newspapers across the globe.

The Regimental gazette of February 1914 reported ‘The CO’s letter has brought responses from Aberdeen in the north to Buenos Aires in the south, and from British Columbia in the west to Burma in the east’. The letters column certainly shows that the proposal had struck an appropriate chord. In addition to the aforementioned places it appears that Antarctica was the only continent not populated by London Scots.

The inaugural general meeting was held in the Sergeants Mess at HQ, 59 Buckingham Gate, on 27th January 1914. The title of ‘Old Comrades Association’ was adopted. 90 persons were present with many more letters of apology received. The chair was taken by Colonel Malcolm who welcomed all present and thanked the interim committee for their sterling work. The CO then called upon Major Lyall Grant to give his report. He informed those present that there had been overwhelming support for the formation of an Association. He assured the meeting that the very first application for membership had in fact been received from the Honorary Colonel, the Duke of Argyll. Major Lyall Grant then outlined the proposed ‘Objects and Rules’ of the Association which had been drawn up by the interim committee. Of particular interest was the inclusion of the object ‘ to provide an organisation to which members might apply should they be in need of assistance’. This was deemed necessary for in those days there was no Regimental Benevolent Fund, otherwise the original rules and objects were not that dissimilar to those currently adopted. An Annual Dinner was also proposed and overseas members were encouraged to form local associations so that members travelling abroad ‘would find congenial company and helpful advice’. Major Lyall Grant then completed his report and tendered the resignation of the interim committee. The meeting then proposed to elect the officers and general committee. Major Lyall Grant was elected Hon Treasurer and Colour Sergeant J.J.Dobney was elected the Hon Secretary together with a committee of 20 members. Interestingly there is no mention of the election of a Chairman, though Major Lyall Grant then replied on behalf of the committee. He is later referred to as Chairman, the position he held on the interim committee.

The General Committee, being now officially formed, met next in the Sgts Mess on the 10th February. It was decided that an annual Dinner should be held on 4th May 1914, and thereafter on the first Monday of each May. Four members of the committee were appointed to the Executive Committee to support the Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer, still there is no reference to a Chairman. Applications to join continued to be received at HQ, a great many from overseas addresses as word spread. One response from a D Douglas Patterson of Calcutta stated that the original letter of notice posted in November 1913 had finally reached him in May 1914 bearing the postmarks of Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Mauritius, Persian Gulf, a second Bombay and finally a second Calcutta! Perhaps the most exotic address contacted was ‘The Scottish Thistle Club’, Honolulu.

The May 1914 issue of the Gazette lists the names of the first 59 members; at No 1 is the Duke of Argyll, at No 2 JJ Dobney and No3 Major W.L.Lyall Grant. Alongside the member’s names are their regimental number and company. The Earl of Wymess (Lord Elcho) is registered as member number 8, bearing the regimental number 1. The roll of members from No. 60 – No.117 is printed in the June issue. Of the original 117 members 14 were officers, including 6 Colonels, and 27 SNCO’s. Most had served in B Coy (37) followed by A Coy (28). 72 lived in what is now classed as Greater London, 9 were from Scotland and 10 lived overseas.

Following the formation of the Association the inaugural dinner had to be postponed due to the untimely death of the Duke of Argyll, Honorary Colonel of the Regiment and by now referred to as ‘President of the Association’. The dinner was instead held at 59 Buckingham Gate on Saturday 16th May presided over by Major Lyall Grant. Nearly 200 members were in attendance including some who had joined in 1859. After the loyal toast the next toast is shown as to ‘the Chief’, the affectionate name for Lord Elcho, by 1914 now the Earl of Wymess. The following telegram was read out: ‘Dear Chairman, Gratefully and heartily I respond to my Old Comrades greeting, and may your union tonight be a happy one, full of pleasant recollections of our old days together. Yours affectionately, WEMYSS.’ The chairman announced that membership had now reached 480 with branches established in Calcutta and Vancouver and with members ‘in every part of the habitable globe’. 12 absent members sent greetings from Johannesburg. The toast was to ‘The Association’.

By August 1914 the Association was truly established. Monday had become the recognised social evening at HQ for Association members who were by now attending Regimental events. 60 members attended the Memorial Service for the Earl of Wymess, referred to as the ‘President of the Association’. A small detachment of Old Comrades paraded with the Regiment in Hyde Park in July and arrangements were being made for an OCA shoot at Bisley in September.

Then of course the Battalion was mobilised and the world as the members of the Association knew it would change irrevocably. Mrs Malcolm, the wife of the CO, launched a comforts fund for ‘our boys at the Front’. The Association immediately came to the fore to assist. Members were encouraged to support the fund and Major Lyall Grant offered to act as Chairman of the Fund, which would be administered and run by the Association. A list of contributors to the fund was shown in the November gazette which had reached the sum of £318 11s by 20th October. Membership by November 1914 had topped the 500 mark. Understandably the annual Halloween dinner was not held but nonetheless an informal gathering of members still took place.

The first AGM of the Association was held on January 18th 1915 with 60 members present. The committee was re-elected and the motion carried that ‘those members of the Association who have re-joined the Colours be considered honorary members for the current year’. It was also proposed that ‘the election of the Hon President and President in the places of the late Earl of Wymess and the late Duke of Argyll be deferred’. This is the first reference to both a Hon President and a President. The holding of the annual dinner was similarly held in abeyance. The comforts fund now stood at £427 9s. 6d. Membership stood at 536 with 2 life members.

The Old Comrades Association continued to play a hugely important role throughout the Great War, administering the comforts fund and extolling members to generously provide support, not just financial but also by donating much needed provisions. These included a claymore, a sporran and woollen goods. For the benefit of member’s wives the correct dimensions of hosetops and wool shade were given. Parcels were also sent to prisoners of war.

Following the war Major Lyall Grant remained Chairman of the Association until February 1945 when he handed to his successor, John Gibson ( a former RQMS). He remains the longest serving chairman by far and interestingly his son Dougie (a former Commanding Officer who fought with the 1st Bn in WW1) was also chairman of the Association from 1956 - 1968.

The next significant development in the history of the Association took place in 1973. Concerned that the name ‘Old Comrades Association’ was off putting for younger members and viewed as inclusive and the preserve of an earlier generation the then OC, Major (later Colonel) Richard Holliday, formed a working committee to address the problem. Subsequent meetings were held at RHQ to consider the proposal that a new Association should be formed for those excluded by the OCA. This proposal was not deemed acceptable. Instead a compromise was proposed by the incumbent OCA chairman, Major Tom Lyon, whereby the old OCA would change its name to the ‘Regimental Association’ and be open to all London Scots, old comrades and serving company alike. New Objects and Rules would reflect these changes. This preferred way forward was passed at the AGM of 1974. Major Lyon was re-elected chairman. Membership was now shown to be in excess of 1000.

The current Regimental Association can therefore be shown as the continuation of the OCA, formed on 27th January 1914. It was not a new or replacement Association and so in 2014 claimed 100 years of existence. To celebrate 100 years of the Association a Centenary gala dinner was held at 95 on the evening of the 27th January 2014, the actual date of formation. Over 120 members and guests were in attendance including 3 former Colonels and the then Regimental Colonel.

There have been only 8 Chairman of the London Scottish Old Comrades Association/Regimental Association to date:

Major W.L. Lyall Grant 1914 – 1945

GibsonEsq. 1945 - 1956

Col. D. Lyall-Grant 1956 - 1968

Col. D.V Penman 1968 - 1969

Major T.R.S Lyon 1969 - 1991

D.M Henderson Esq. 1991 - 2000

Major B.D. Welsh 2000 - 2002

S.D Lovelock Esq. 2002 – present

The Present

The stated objects of the Regimental Associations are:

To preserve that spirit of comradeship which exists and has always existed amongst all ranks of the London Scottish Regiment, and to keep in touch with members overseas.

To promote the well being of serving units and sub-units of the London Scottish Regiment and units and sub-units bearing that name in their title, especially as regards recruiting.

To provide opportunities for reunions and other social and military gatherings.

To provide a channel of communication with the various Benevolent and other Funds for members and their dependents in need of assistance.

The Association is governed by a committee elected at the Annual General Meeting traditionally held on the 1st Tuesday in April. The executive comprises an elected Chairman, Vice Chairman, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer. The serving company are represented on the committee. The President of the Association is the Regimental Colonel and the Officer Commanding is the Vice President. These are non-executive, ex-officio positions.

In accordance with its objects The Association holds an annual reunion dinner on the last Friday in February for all who served in the Regiment. A lunch for members and their spouses/partners and guests is held each Spring. In addition the Scotland Branch organises an annual reunion lunch for those now resident north of the Border.

Since 1976 the Regiment has exercised its right to return to Messines to commemorate the Battle of Halloween. In 2000 the Association introduced battlefield tours in the intervening years between Messines trips. These have taken in the actions of the London Scottish on the Western Front in the Great War and Italy in WW2 as well as Arnhem, Waterloo and Normandy. In 2014 it was decided that Association members would travel to Messines to commemorate the actual centenary anniversary of that most famous Regimental battle. Thus on October 31st 2014 Association members walked in the footsteps of their gallant forebears on the actual battlefield 100 years to the day. That evening over 100 members and guests, including the Mayor of Messines and the Chairman of the Ypres Last Post Association held their own Halloween Dinner in Ypres town centre at the same time as that held at Regimental Headquarters in London.

The decision was made to commemorate centenary anniversaries of the actions of the old 1st Battalion in each of the Great War years. This in 2015 Association members assembled in Loos as part of a multi unit parade and commemorative service, visited the battlefield of Gommecourt and the Somme in 2016 and in 2017 those of the 1917 battles of Arras and Cambrai.

In paying respects to those London Scots who fought and fell in the 2 World Wars the Regimental Association has conducted wreath laying ceremonies at such significant memorials as the Menin Gate, Tyne Cot, Loos, Thiepval, Arras, Cambrai and Monte Cassino as well as laying wreaths whilst parading past The Cenotaph and The London Troops Memorial, Royal Exchange

In 2014 as part of the Centenary commemorations representation was made to the Royal British Legion for the Association to march in the annual Remembrance Parade at the Cenotaph. This request was granted with the Association proudly taking its place on this most famous of Remembrance parades. This is now an annual occurrence and the Hodden Grey on parade has since been witnessed by millions of TV viewers.

The Regimental Association has always provided a strong marching contingent behind the serving soldiers on the annual Regimental Church Parade.

The Federation of London Old Comrades Associations was formed in 1935 with the London Scottish a founding member. For reasons lost in the mists of time the London Scottish ceased to be members. In 2008 we returned to the Federation and now march on its annual parade through the streets of the City of London.

It is traditional for members to meet informally at the bar of RHQ on the 1st Tuesday of each month.

The Association thus remains strong to its origins and boasts a membership around 500, still drawn from across the globe. Membership is open to all who have served in a constituent element of The London Scottish and costs just £15 a year for UK residents and £20 a year for overseas members. Members receive the Regimental Gazette and. If on e-mail, a monthly electronic newsletter.

Golf Society

In 1865 the London Scottish Golf Club was formed on Wimbledon Common by and for the Regiment. As such it is quite unique. Though it has long since become a private members club it still values its relationship with the Regiment. The Regimental Association has it’s own Golf Society, the successor to those men of the Regiment who met regularly to play golf together. The golf society meets 3 times a year and in tribute to the past and the enduring relationship with the Club continues to play its matches at the LSGC. Membership is open to any member of the Regimental Association, no matter what standard.

Steve Lovelock

Chairman – London Scottish Regimental Association